Torpedo-guard



(No Model 2 Sheet$-Sheet 2.

J. LYNCH T. M'IDGLEY.

, TORPEDO GUARD.

No. 463,262. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

I I I.

(b v 1 W ENTORS Z/WMM e m M? A TZORNEYS NiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LYNCH, OF XVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND THOMAS MIDGLEY, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

TORPEDO-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,262, dated November 17, 1891.

Application filed January 30, 1891. Serial No. 379.716. (No model.)

To aZZ'whom it may concern.-

Be it known that We, JOHN LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, and THOMAS MIDGLEY, a citizen of the-United States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Guards; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to war-vessels and has for its object the construction of metallic netting to surround a vessel andform a guard against submerged torpedoes.

The invention willbehereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims. Y

In the accompanyin g drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a section of our improved torpedo-guard to be applied to the sides of a vessel; Fig. 2, an end view showing part of the section rolled from the lower end; Fig. 3, an edge View of a section of the supporting piece or bar on the upper end of the section 5 Fig. 4', a side elevation of a section to be applied around the bow and .stern of a vessel Fig. 5, an edge view of the same, and. Fig. 6 an enlarged plan of the coupling for the bars at their points of intersection.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters thereon, A indicates a section of our improved torpedo guard or netting,which is composed of parallel bars B, formed of intertwined helices at, having their ends secured by being bent back into or upon the helix, as at b. The length of the bars may be varied for use upon vessels of different dimensions and are preferably made about two inches wide. In constructing the bars-B sections of cylindrical helices are screwed into each other to form a sheet of any convenient length and width, the length of the sheet preferably being equal to the length required for the bars B. The sheet is then passed through a suitable machine and the helices a flattened or elongated, the sheet being held or kept under longitudinal tension while the helices are being flattened to make them equal in length and seat each helix in the adjacent helices with which it is intertwined, and form a compact and flexible fabric which can be p readily rolled upon itself. The sheet is then cut transversely of the helices into bars B of any suitablewidth and the ends of the helices secured on both edges of the bars. The bars B are then placed in position parallel with each other upon a flat surface-such as a table-and the bars O interwoven with the bars B, as shown, to form meshes about six inches square. strands of wire passed through the helices a and braided or twisted between the bars B as at 6, thus securely holding the bars B in proper position in the netting or guard.

Instead of using the strands of wire to form the bars 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, they may be made of the same material as the bars B, as shown in Figs. i and 5. construction the bars are coupled or connected at the points where they intersect by two sections 0 (Z of wire bent in serpentine form. other and each bar connected to both sections by a section 6 of cylindrical helices being screwed into the end of each bar B and G,-

and into both of the sections 0 d, as shown in Fig. 6. be flattened to conform to the length and appearance of the body of the bars, and their ends properly secured by bending, as on the edges of the bars B and O. This latter con- The bars 0 may be made of In this latter The connecting-section 6. may then struction produces an exceedingly flexible guard, admirably adapted for use at the bow and stern of a vessel, where the sections of a guard must be bent or curved to conform to the contour of the vessel.

At the lower end of the section A is a tubular bar D, to which the bars B are secured and upon which the section is rolled when the guard is taken out of the water, and may then be readily stored for future use. In Figs. 1 and 2 the tubular bar D is shown made of ordinary iron pipe, and in practice is from two to two and a half inches in diameter. This bar is provided at the bottom with a longitudinal slot f, of a width equal to the thickness of the bars 0, and on its top with a series of rectangular slots g, through which the bars B pass, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To apply this bar D to a section of the guard or netting, the bars B are passed through the slots 9 and f and the bar pushed back upon said bars, when the lower bar 0 is inserted through the bars 13 and the bar D then pushed down until it rests upon the bar 0. It is obvious, however, that instead of using the bar 0 of many strands of wire, one bar of metal may be used.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the tubular bar D is made of intertwined coiled wire helices h, and the bars B secured thereto by being intertwined therewith, This construction of the bar: is especially adapted to. the sections, which must necessarily be curved in their application to a vessel, and is exceedingly flexible. At'the-ends-ofthe bars G are formed loops 1',

' which; are made to overlap the loops ofan ad:

jacentsection and a bar 13 passed throughtheloops to connect the sections. The sectionsare supported from the upperend, and

for; this purpose a bar E, Figs. 1 and 2, of -intertwinedcoiledwire helices, is attached to each section. This baris made five-ply thick, andat the points where the bars B come the;

middle or center ply is removed, thus formj sections-com posed of vertical.- and horizontal jfiexible bars anda flexible tubularbar ofin:

ing;a series of passagesk through-the bar'E,

- and-through which passagesthebars B pass.

The. supporting-bar may; however, be made ofw-ire rope or'cable, as. F in Figs. sand 5,

sections composed-lot, crossed-flexiblebarsand- :a supporting-bar. 12. A torpedo guardiconsisting; of"metallic sections com'posed ot-crossed; and intersected flexible bars anda flexible supporting-bar.

and? passed through loops Z in-bars B.

For'the purpose of handling or transporting the netting, itmaybe rolled from either 1 t-hefupperor-lower endofthe sections. The guard th us constructedis comparatively light by. reasonof'the large meshes, and when ap-- sections composed of; vertical'and horizontal intersected; flexible bars and mean storcoup- ,ling; or connecting adj acentsections.

plied to a vessel it may be'readily suspended: upon boomsorguard-arms in the usual man- I161;

Having, thus fully described our invention, whatrwe-claimis- 1'. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections-composed of crossed flexible bars intrsected at their points of crossing.

2; A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed'of parallel flexible bars of" intertwined helices and transverse intersectingbars.

3. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel flexible bars-ofintertwined elongated helices and transverse intersecting flexible bars.

4. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel bars of intertwined helices and transverse bars of strands of wire.

5. Atorpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel bars of intertwined elongated helices and transverse bars of braided strands of wire. 6. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel and transverse intersecting flexible bars and a cylindrical bar atone end of the section.

7. A torpedoguarjd consisting of metallic sections composed of crossed flexible bars .and a tubular bar at one end of the sectio n..

8. A torpedo-guardconsisting of metallic sections composed-of: crossed flexihlebarsand, a flexible bar otintertwined helices, at one endof-the section. I

9. A torpedo-guard consisting of metallic sections composed of parallel bars ofintert wined helices,intersecting-bars,and a flexir ;ble-bar of intertwined helicesat' one end of thesection.

10. A torpedo-guard consistingot'f metallic tertwined helices at one endot-the section.

11. A torpedo-guardconsisting 'ofi" metallic 13. A torpedo-guard. consisting of metallic 14; A torpedo-guardiconsisting of" metallic sections composed'of' crossed; and-intersected" flexible bars and-the horizontal bars provided with loopsat their ends.

In testilnony'whereofwe aflix on r signatures 

